Greetings from the President of PSJ

Living organisms are truly ingeniously designed. For example, when we exercise, our breathing and pulse increase so that we can take in more oxygen and deliver it throughout the body. When we sweat and our bodies become dehydrated, we feel thirsty; when blood sugar levels fall, we feel hungry. When our hands or feet come into contact with something hot, we reflexively pull them away. We can remember things we have studied and events that have happened in the past. For more details, please see the easy-to-understand explanation on PSJ website (https://int.physiology.jp/physiology/). Physiology is the academic discipline that seeks to elucidate these various exquisite mechanisms of life.

One of the Nobel Prizes is the “Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.” The fact that the only Nobel Prize related to medicine bears the name “Physiology or Medicine” shows that physiology, which elucidates the mechanisms of life, is an extremely important discipline at the core of medicine.

PSJ has a 102-year history, with its first annual meeting held on July 10, 1922. For its 100th anniversary, the Society designated July 10 as “Physiology Day” to provide an opportunity for more people to learn about physiology. This designation was submitted to the Japan Anniversary Association and was officially accepted (https://int.physiology.jp/mainnews/25901/). I would be grateful if you would keep in mind that July 10 is “Physiology Day” and take a moment to reflect on the wonder of being alive and the mysterious mechanisms that constantly sustain it.

On the “Physiology Day” in 2024, in addition to public relations activities on our website, PSJ opened a new official account on X (formerly Twitter) (@PhysiologyJapan). Although it has only just been launched, we hope to introduce results on physiology research and related topics in the future, for example, by providing links to explanatory pages. We also intend to disseminate information not only within Japan but also overseas through bilingual Japanese-English posts, and to share information from physiological societies abroad. We would be delighted if you would follow us.

One of the missions of PSJ is to enrich research and education in physiology. At the same time, it is also an important mission to speak out to improve the environment for academic research and to raise awareness of physiology among society. These activities also have great significance in fostering the next generation. As part of its outreach activities, the Society offers “visiting lectures for elementary, junior high, and high schools, and other institutions” as well as various other outreach activities (https://int.physiology.jp/lecture/).

If you have any requests, please feel free to contact us.

We look forward to your continued support of PSJ.

Yoshihiro Kubo, MD & PhD
President of the Physiological Society of Japan